Bed Time Ritual

Sometimes I sing, "Its the most wonderful time of the day." Those days bedtime is a welcome relief.

Most days bedtime for Caitlin are my favorite time for other reasons. We start the ritual by reading together in the blue rocking recliner. We snuggle in tight. She sometimes requests the warm blanket. Either Dave or I give her a piggy back ride to her bedroom. She usually requests a horsey ride when we reach the carpeted dining room. We change her diaper. We brush her teeth. She roars like a tiger so we can brush all her teeth. We tuck her in bed. Caitlin requests water every night. She takes one sip. Then, and this is why it is my favorite time, she asks for mommy and daddy to cuddle. We each climb in the bed with one of us on each side. She hugs us hard around our necks. She tells us that she loves us so much. We sometimes tell her what to dream about so she has nice dreams. We tell her to dream about baskets of puppies, playing with her grandparents, or seeing her friend at playgroup. Often she tells who loves her. She is a lucky girl. It is a long list. As we start to leave her bed so she can sleep, she pulls us tighter and requests one more kiss. I'll always give her one more kiss.